"Hines Ward didn't pout. He didn't question the limited number of plays he was on the field for Sunday. And he didn't wallpaper the Steelers locker room with his resume in case anyone has forgotten he is the most decorated receiver in Steelers history.

If Ward has been supplanted by two wide receivers who are still behind him on the Steelers' depth chart, he is taking the demotion in stride.

"It's not about me, it's about the team," said Ward, who watched much of the Steelers' 24-17 win in Cincinnati from the sidelines. "The bottom line is, we won the game."

Ward did not start against the Bengals — Antonio Brown got the nod opposite Mike Wallace — and he had just one catch for 10 yards.

Ward said the coaches did not talk to him about a reduced role before the game. The 14th-year veteran said his health was not an issue, even though he had been knocked out of the previous week's game with concussion-like symptoms."